LOS ANGELES— A monumental season for Sun Devil Baseball came to a close after suffering an 11-6 loss in the elimination bracket at the hands of No. 2 seed UC Irvine on Sunday at the Los Angeles Regional.
Arizona State traded blows and sparked various comeback efforts throughout the afternoon, but were unable to turn a corner to land a true momentum swing.
A sixth inning rally that saw three-runs pushed across to pull back in it followed by a near game-tying home run almost turned the contest on its head. Instead, a tumultuous top of the seventh saw four UCI runs get plated which ended up putting the game out of reach for ASU.
The Sun Devils scored six runs on ten hits that included three different multi-hit efforts, but it was not enough to outslug a potent Anteater offensive barrage.
The Sun Devils finished the 2025 campaign with a final record of 36-24, going 18-12 in its inaugural Big 12 season. The 36 wins were the most under head coach Willie Bloomquist and the most the team has had since 2019.
TURNING POINT
Heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Sun Devils found themselves down 7-2 with a tall task at hand. After a leadoff walk of Kien Vu, Isaiah Jackson was hit by a pitch to get the first two batters of the inning on base. Josiah Cromwick laid down a successful bunt that moved runners over to second and third in exchange for an out. Brandon Compton was next to the dish and delivered a very timely opposite field, two-run double that gave his team a much needed spark that chased the UCI starting pitcher and gave the Sun Devils a shot of adrenaline.
BIG MOMENT
As Big West pitcher of the year Rickie Ojeda entered after the Compton double, Beckett Zavorek traded places with a double of his own to make it 7-5 with momentum taking a big shift in favor of the maroon and gold. After Kyle Walker was retired on a deep fly out, Landon Hairston launched an absolute moon shot to right field that wound up being mere inches away from a fair ball and a 7-7 game. Conversely, Hairston grounded out to first base and the inning concluded with the Sun Devils right within striking distance, but unable to get over the hill.
FINAL STRAW
UCI responded immediately after ASU's sixth-inning rally. A leadoff single set the stage for a two-run homer that quickly erased any momentum the Sun Devils had built. Two defensive miscues and a well-timed double followed, plating two more runs and extending the Anteaters' lead to 11-5 — a deficit ASU couldn't overcome.
NOTABLES .
- Matt King became just the second player in the BBCOR era to finish their Sun Devil single season with a .400 or higher batting average as he clocked out the year at .403. He was the 20th Sun Devil to do so in the aluminum bat era (since 1974, min. 200 ABs).
- It is the second-straight season a Sun Devil has finished the year batting over .400 after Kien Vu did it (.413) last year. It is the first time that two SEPARATE players have recorded .400 averages in consecutive seasons since a four-season stretch from 1997-2000 (Dan McKinley, Willie Bloomquist, Mark Ernster, Casey Myers). Brett Wallace had back-to-back .400 seasons in 2007 and 2008.
- With Cincinnati's season coming to an end on Sunday as well, King moved past Kerrington Cross (.396) for the best average in the Big 12, giving ASU the conference leading batter by average for the second-straight season after Vu accomplished the feat last year in the Pac-12.
- The Sun Devils join Austin Peay as the only program in the country to have a .400 hitter in each of the last two seasons. Of the 31 players with .400+ averages in the last two seasons, only nine have come from Power Four/Five schools with ASU representing two of those.
- King recorded his team leading 29th multi-hit game of the season going 3-4 with an RBI at the plate. It was his 15th game of the season with three or more hits.
- Kien Vu had two outfield assists in the first two innings alone against UCI, notable as he had NO outfield assists on the season coming in. It was the first time a Sun Devil outfielder had two outfield assists in one game this season.
- Isaiah Jackson recorded his 12th homer in the last 17 games, bringing his total to 18 for the year. He has a hit in all but 15 of ASU's 60 games this season. He has at least one RBI in 35 games. His team-leading 68 RBIs are notable as he has not batted higher than fifth in the order (once) this season.
- Jacob Tobias put the first run on the board via sac fly. It was the 12th time this season Tobias notched the first RBI of the game and second time this regional weekend doing so.
- True freshman Beckett Zavorek recorded his first-career extra base hit with a sixth inning RBI double.
- ASU has recorded multiple doubles in 42 games this season. The team entered the postseason ranked third in the nation in doubles and now have 149 on the year
- Big innings have been the theme of ASU's season as the team has now scored in 214 halves of an inning on the year and have plated two or more runs in 129 of those (60 percent).
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
"I still in my heart think it's a little too early for us to be done, but we just didn't execute how we needed to today. (We) came up short. But at the end of the day, I'm extremely proud of our guys for the effort and everything they gave to this program. I think this was one of those teams that you're gonna remember for a long time. For the guys that were internal on how much they cared about each other and how much they played for each other, all the ups and downs we went through this year. At the end of the day, man, I'm blessed to be called the head coach and get to work with young men like Matt King, Jacob Tobias, Josiah Cromwick, Kyle Walker, Jonah Giblin, etc. It's most likely their last game in a Sun Devil uniform. (I'm) just really, truly, blessed to have been head coach of these guys. I learned as much from them as they hoped they learned from me. Nothing to hang our heads about. This program will continue to move forward, but again, super, super proud of the effort level that these guys gave us and gave the program."
On overall regional / postseason experience
Obviously this is what you do all the prep work for and all the preaching and teaching throughout the year and then trying to get them ready for moments like this. Miscues mean games. Ironically a couple of miscues today that cost us. Making sure that we cross our T's, dot our I's, and those are the little things that win and lose games. But as far as the overall experience, obviously we wanted to keep going. We had aspirations to keep going. I think we had a team that was capable of continuing to move beyond this. But, at the end of the day, you take nothing away other than just these guys are a phenomenal group of young men. The effort level, the resiliency that they've shown all year, just a special group of kids. You get the chance to experience a regional, Jacob Tobias, who's been here for four years and getting that opportunity to do that after grinding it out four years in a Sun Devil uniform. It's great to see him have that opportunity, but hopefully it's a mark that the program's not where we want it to be, but it's trending in the right direction. That we continue to make progress each of the last four years and hopefully we're on the right pathway to getting this thing right. So again, I'm just very thankful for guys that have given me everything they got and coming in here and continue to bring the program forward."
On the identity of the 2025 Sun Devils
"This team that we have was very resilient. We went through our ups and downs throughout the year. We had our adversities and these kids kept on grinding and didn't labor. They played hard regardless of the score, regardless of being up or down runs. These guys played hard. For me, that's what we try to instill in our guys no matter what, you give everything you got and we'll let the results happen as they will. I'm proud of the effort level of these guys."
Infielder Matt King
On teammates and locker room bonds
"It means a lot. Once I first stepped on campus all the guys that were returners welcomed me like I've been here forever. I'll be able to call these guys my brothers the rest of my life. It's the closest team I've ever been a part of. I wouldn't change my decision for the world. I appreciate coach and the team more than they know to give me a chance to be a part of this."
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Derek Schaefer opened his third start of the season running into some trouble, with UC Irvine putting two runners on within the first three batters. The Anteaters brought a run home on a one-out single, which they traded for an out as Kien Vu gunned down a runner advancing past second base. Schaefer wound up stranding two runners to hold UCI to one in the top half of the first inning.
Kyle Walker got the Sun Devil offense started in the bottom half with a high-chopper clearing the third baseman for a single. Walker and Matt King executed a hit-and-run to perfection, with King moving Walker to third on a line drive base hit. Jacob Tobias skied a sacrifice fly to score Walker and tie the game in the next at-bat. Despite a two-out walk to Vu, one run was all ASU could manage in the frame.
Second Inning
Schafer returned to work and induced a pair of quick flyouts to open his second inning. The Anteaters began to threaten with a pair of two-out singles of their own. On the second base knock to right field, Vu came up firing and cut the UCI baserunner down in his tracks trying to get to third with a perfect strike to put a halt on the Anteaters hopes of runners at the corners. It was Vu's second assist of the game in as many innings to end the threat.
The Sun Devils went down in order after a trio of groundouts to third base.
Third Inning
Schaefer bounced back from a one-out solo home run to notch his first two strikeouts of the contest and keep ASU within one swing of the tie.
Walker again led off the inning with an infield single, and moved to second on a fielder's choice. Matt King recorded his second base hit of the day to once again put runners on the corners with one away, but an inning-ending double play took the Sun Devils out of the scoring opportunity.
Fourth Inning
Schaefer beamed the UCI leadoff man to open the fourth. On a 3-2 pitch, UCI connected on a two-run homer to put ASU down 4-1. A base hit would follow and that would mark the end of Schaefer's afternoon. Lucas Kelly was the first man out of the bullpen as he picked up a strikeout and recorded a fielder's choice to begin his outing. He would issue a two-run homer as the deficit increased to 6-1. A flyout then ended the inning.
Isaiah Jackson laced his team leading 18th home run that just snuck over the right-center field fence for a solo shot to bring the score to 6-2. Brandon Compton and Beckett Zavorek drew back-to-back walks to turn things over to the top of the order with two outs. Walker had some loud contact that resulted in a fly out to left field ending the rally.
Fifth Inning
Lucas Kelly returned to the hill and worked around a pair of free passes to post a critical scoreless inning, the first for the Sun Devils since the second.
ASU went down in order in the last of the fifth.
Sixth Inning
Cole Carlon was next up in favor of Kelly. After a leadoff strikeout, UCI swatted out a solo home run to make it 7-2. A flyout and groundout would conclude the top half.
ASU threatened early as Vu and Jackson reached on a walk and hit by pitch, respectively. Josiah Cromwick laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners in exchange for an out. Compton was next and barreled up an opposite field double that split the left center gap to put two runs on the board and pull the Sun Devils back in it at 7-4. Zavorek would trade places with Compton on a double of his own and inch his team that much closer as the deficit moved to 7-5. Hairston belted a deep fly ball in what would have been a no-doubt, game-tying home run that went about two feet foul as the stadium held its breath. Instead, he rolled over to first and the inning ended with ASU right back in it.
Seventh Inning
Carlon trotted out for his second inning of work, and UCI jumped on him with a single and a two-run clout to put the Anteaters back ahead by four. UCI capitalized on two throwing errors later in the inning to match ASU's three-spot from the fifth, and added a fourth on an RBI double soon thereafter. Sean Fitzpatrick came on in relief and stopped the bleeding to strand runners at the corners with ASU now down 11-5.
ASU put two runners on via bases on balls in the offensive half, but couldn't bring anybody around.
Eighth Inning
Josh Butler took over for Fitzpatrick to begin the eighth. A sporadic inning included a walk, single, and sac bunt to put runners at second and third with one away. The next UCI batter hit a sharp grounder to Zavorek at third in which he went home and recorded the force out. An infield single would follow and then Tobias booted a grounder but recovered and flipped to Butler for the 3-1 putout ending the first half of eight.
The young guns provided a late spark as Zavorek and Hairston each added a base knock. King drove in Zavorek with his third hit of the ballgame to make it 11-6. That would be all for the inning as a groundout ended things.
Ninth Inning
Butler and Easton Barrett combined to toss a 1-2-3 frame, holding the deficit at five.
Aside from a walk by Jackson, the Sun Devils went down quietly to end the ballgame.